This invention relates generally to optical systems and more particularly to a lenticular optical system through which various composite images can be viewed.
Lenticular lenses are well known for use in optical systems to produce various types of unique optical effects. The known lenticular lens systems generally include a transparent sheet having a plane surface on one side thereof and on the other side, a series of parallel longitudinal ridges creating a multi-lenticular system of convex lenses. A print sheet or medium is generally disposed at the back of the lens adjacent to or on the plain surface. The print sheet contains at least two alternate series of spaced image lines, each series of image lines constituting a dissection or breakup of a master picture. The two series of image lines are so optically related with respect to the lens elements as to be alternately visible upon positional changes of the viewer with respect to the lenses. When viewed from one position, the first series of image lines are visible so as to display the first composite picture. When viewed from a second position, the second series of line are visible so as to display the second composite picture.
The same lenticular system can also be utilized to produce a three-dimensional picture effect. In forming such effects, the two images respectively constitute a right eye view of an object and a left eye view of the same object in normal visual parallax. The lenticular lenses are placed to be along a line perpendicular to an imaginary line drawn through the two pupils of the eyes of the viewer. In this manner, the convex lenses provide the desired optical effect to divert light rays from the image lines making up the right eye elements of the picture into the right eye of the viewer and, in the same way, the left eye elements of the picture into left eye of the viewer, thereby creating the illusion of three-dimensional vision in the viewer's mind.
A major drawback of existing lenticular lens systems, such as those disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,541,727 and 4,034,555, is the fact that neither image can be placed at varying distances beneath the lens and be viewed successfully, nor is it possible to place a three-dimensional object beneath the lens sheet at varying distances and be viewed. Thus, the applications of existing lenticular lens systems are restricted. Such capability of placing an object or image beneath the first composite image would greatly expand the applications to which the system could be used.
Another drawback of existing lenticular lens systems is the fact that materials that are sufficiently thin enough for packaging and other large-scale commercial uses cannot be made using the most economical printing technologies. In traditional lenticular lens material, the thickness is the same dimension as the focal length, which is approximately three times the radius of curvature of the lens. With the limits of quality consistent mass printing, in the order of being able to print lenticular material in the order of 100 lenticules/inch, the lens material thickness is greater than 0.017 in. thick. In addition, where the object is to grab viewers' attention as they walk past, the traditional lens materials change too quickly for use as our two-phase system of image to see-thru. The traditional materials change several times with too short a view of each phase. Another drawback of the known technique for fabricating lenticular lens is the inability to economically register the print lines to the lenses with the required critical parallel alignment.
A significant commercial use for materials with a dynamic change in views from an opaque picture view to a view of the interior contents is in packaging, and particularly the mass beverage and snack food packaging market. Surveys show that over 80 percent of consumers make their final purchasing decisions in the store. In beverage and snack food marketing, with a crowded field of products, it is essential to "catch the eye" of the consumer. There is a current need for an improved lenticular system in which a juxtaposition of advertising images and actual three-dimensional product within creates an enhanced visual attraction.
Lenticular optical system that create 3-D images and images which change with changes in viewing position have been produced for many years by printing pictures on sheets which are laminated to lenticular lens sheets. The lens sheets are injection molded, extruded, and embossed. The embossing has been typically done with a spiral engraving of the cylinder. This creates a skew of the emboss lines, which makes it extremely difficult to align the lenticular ridges parallel to the print lines. It is essential that the image lines be parallel to the ridges lines for 3-D and even more critical for image-to-see-thru animation systems. This parallel relationship must be maintained in order to keep the `see-thru` slits open for a clear view of the objects beyond the plane of the lens sheet. If the lines and lens ridge are not mutually parallel, the image will not be capable of changing in a clear left-right, or up-down animation. Instead, the image would change in the form of diagonal bands diminishing in size with further misalignment of the parallel.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved lenticular optical system and an improved process for fabricating such a system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lenticular optical system in which a composite image is viewable from one angle and an object or image placed at a selected distance between the composite image is viewable from a second angle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lenticular optical system which provides a first composite image which can be viewed through lenticular lenses wherein the first composite image is formed of a plurality of spaced apart parallel strips with transparent stripes therebetween.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a lenticular optical system through which at least two composite pictures can be viewed and wherein an object will be viewed at a third angle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lenticular-type optical system which permits the placement of an object image at a plurality of preselected distances beneath a composite image for viewing at different angles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an optical system in which one composite picture may be viewed from one angle and a three-dimensional object may be viewed from another angle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lenticular optical system which permits independent replacement of each composite image.
Another object of the invention is to provide optical systems which permit production of thin materials which are particularly useful for packaging.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple container packaging having an area having a lenticular lens system permitting the view of a first composite picture along one viewing direction and a second composite image, the actual individual containers within the outer package at another viewing angle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an array of packages with lenticular image to see-thru portions which create a continuum of moving images.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide container labels having an area of lenticular lens system permitting view of two or more sets of information in a limited area, permitting the view of composite graphic information from certain directions of view and the contents of the containers from other viewing directions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for fabricating a lenticular optical system in which the required accurate alignment for the quality control necessary for the economical printing of the large quantities needed for packaged goods and other commercial printing is achieved.
Another object of the invention is to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of prior lenticular optical systems.
According to one aspect of the concept of the present invention the novel means employed to overcome the limitations of the prior art include an optical lens system comprising a transparent sheet having a surface on one side of the sheet and its opposite second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticular cylindrical lenses. The transparent sheet has a thickness in the range of between the dimension of the radius, and two times the radius. Herein it is a non-focusing lens, yet it functions adequately to view the light reflected and refracted from the two phases of the image stripe, and the clear stripe, the `see-thru` view. In addition, at the same time, it overcomes the limitation of the thicker traditional focusing lens which changes view of the phases too rapidly. The focusing lens can fill the lens with stripes in the order of 1/100th of the image. In the present invention in the two phase image-to-see-thru system, we wish to see approximately half the image area at one time. In addition, to enhance the `see-thru` view, the image stripes are printed thinner than the intervening clear `window` stripes.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical system comprises a transparent sheet having a plane surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite surface is constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticular lenses. A first composite image is positioned with respect to the plane surface of the transparent sheet. The first composite image is formed of a plurality of spaced apart parallel strips with transparent strips therebetween. A second composite image can be positioned beneath the first composite image.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the optical system comprises a transparent sheet having a plane surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite surface constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticular-type lens ridges, each ridge including parallel convex lens and planer portions, the planar portions being disposed at a selected angle with respect to the plane surface. A composite image portion is positioned with respect to the plane surface of the transparent sheet. The composite image is formed of a plurality of spaced apart parallel strip portions forming intervening void portions which permit the passage of light therethrough from said planar portions. The composite image is viewable through the convex lens portions. An object image is positioned beneath and spaced at a preselected distance from said first surface, the object image being viewable in focus through the planar portions.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the optical lens system comprises a transparent sheet having a first surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticulated convex lenses. The first surface is constituted by a plurality of spaced apart parallel planar portions having a composite image positioned thereupon with transparent concave lens portions therebetween which permit the passage of light therethrough. The convex lenses and the concave lenses combine to form a combined lens of zero power of magnification. An object image, either planar or three-dimensional, is positioned beneath the sheet at a preselected distance, whereby the object image can be viewed through the transparent concave lens portions without distortion.
According to yet another aspect of the optical lens system comprises a transparent sheet having a first surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticulated truncated parabolic lens, the truncated surface being parallel to the plane surface. A composite image is formed of a plurality of spaced apart parallel strip portions forming intervening void portions which permit the passage of light therethrough from said planar portions. The composite image is viewable at side views through the convex (parabolic) lens portions. From the left and right views the truncated plane surfaces are blocked by the height of the lens ridges at these angles. An object is positioned at a preselected distance from said first surface, the object image being viewable in focus through the planar truncated portions when viewed straight on.
In another aspect of the invention, the parabolic lens permits the utilization of a sheet approximately 1/3 thinner than a standard radius lens design with the same number of lens ridges/inch. This is essential in the utilization of commercially economical printing production, wherein the best equipment has the limitation of printing lenticular materials in the order of 100 lenticles per inch a a maximum. The standard radius 100/inch lenticular would require a thickness of approximately 0.017 inch.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the optical lens system comprises a transparent sheet having a first surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel, lenticulated fresnel cylindrical lenses. Said first surface is constituted by a plurality of spaced apart parallel planer portions having a composite image positioned thereupon with intervening void portions.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the opposite second surface of the optical lens system may be constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticulated diffractive cylindrical lenses. Said first surface is constituted by a plurality of spaced apart parallel planer portions having a composite image positioned thereupon with intervening void portions.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the optical system comprises a transparent sheet having a first surface at one side of the sheet and its opposite second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel lenticulated holographic optical element portions having the power of cylindrical convex lenses. Said first surface is constituted by a plurality of spaced apart parallel planar portions having a composite image positioned thereupon with intervening void portions.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a printed film system comprises a transparent film sheet having a first surface at one side of the film sheet, the viewing side, printed with a plurality of parallel spaced apart opaque lines, and its second surface constituted by a plurality of parallel spaced apart image lines. The parallel image lines form a composite image when viewed off angle from the verticle. An object positioned beneath and spaced at a preselected distance from said second surface, is viewable in focus when viewed from the straight on viewing position in front of the first surface.
In another aspect of the invention, the lenticular lens is used as an area of an outer package for a multi container package creating alternate views of AD graphics and individual containers within.
In another aspect of the invention, the lenticular lens packages are combined in an array to form multiple visual images.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the novel means to overcome the limitation of traditional container labels includes producing a thin printed lenticular film, and gluing on, laminating an otherwise affixing the film to the container. The lenticulation can be pre-embossed on the film, embossed during mold bottle manufacture, or embossed by label affixing machinery.
Another aspect involves an animation from an opaque pictorial view at one angle of view, to a change to a `see-thru` to the contents of the container at another angle of view, utilizing a transparent attachment material. Other aspects involve non `see-thru` animation images and 3-D images.
Another aspect of the present invention involves adjusting the print line graphics to the curved surface of many containers. To accomplish this, the image lines must be compressed in the axis perpendicular to the lines, so that the image will change as a whole as the viewer passes the container. If this adjustment were not incorporated into the production, the viewer would see only verticle bands of the image, rather than the whole image.
According to another aspect of the present invention, improved accuracy in alignment is achieved by a process in which the lenticular ridges are impressed into the film with a rotary tool, the grooves of which are perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder and have been precisely indexed after engraving each increment and each groove is identical and equidistant from the previous groove. The tool can be used in a multiple group engraving tool, or a singular engraver. In the second step of the process the film is cut at right angles to the coherent axis of the embossing cylinder and parallel to the parallel embossed ridges. The cutting is done in close proximity to the embossing or the unwind of a preembossed film roll, for greater accuracy. This cutting creates a cut parallel to the lenticular ridge pattern.
The print indicia lines are thus aligned with the lens material: The parallel line indicia must be aligned squarely with the print cylinders and edge guides. The film with its parallel lens ridges and mutually parallel edge are guided squarely into the printing presses and line up with the parallel line indicia, parallel with the film. This can be accomplished due to the mutually parallel edges.
In the case of web printing processes, the film web is guided into the press with the ridges at right angles to the cylinders. For sheet printing, the lens film first must be cut at right angles to create sheets. It is preferable to feed the sheets into the sheet presses with the lens ridges parallel to the print cylinders. Print lines are mutually parallel on the print cylinders, producing print lines on the sheets parallel to the edge and to the ridge lines.
To further achieve the desired parallel alignment, an additional step can be incorporated into the process in which embossed film is guided into the printing and laminating processes by devices producing sensory responses to the differential of parallel ridges, valleys, and edges. These devices may include optical, ultrasonic, laser and other differential sensory response devices.
According to another aspect of the process of the present invention, the printing step can be initiated first, with subsequent combining with the embossed optical ridges. First, parallel line indicia are printed on a web of film with print indicia lines parallel with the longitudinal direction of the web and with the register marks in the margins of the film. Next, the film with the parallel print lines is guided with optical sensors which read the parallel lines and/or the registration marks, in order to align the print lines straight into the apparatus which will add the parallel embossed lenticular lens grid. The embossing units have a cylinder with indexed annular grooves. Forming the embossed ridges can be accomplished by various methods. In one method, the embossing roller is warm enough to overcome the elastic memory of the film and to set the new lenticular surface into the film. Another method involves heating the film with a first warm roller or infra-red radiation or other heating methods, and while warm, embossing with a cool embossing roller which acts as a heat sink and sets in the grooves. Another method involves casting a polymer onto the embossing cylinder by exposing the polymer to uv, eb or other antic radiation as it is coated onto the film web, setting up the lenticular ridges. This can be cast onto the printed web or a second web which is laminated to the printed web.
According to another aspect of the process of the current invention, the process for producing a lenticular lens material having parallel lens to print alignment is produced by silkscreen printing lines of clear resin. The lines of resin can be printed as parallel ridges beads which naturally form a slope creating the convex lenticular bar-lens ridges. The lines of resin are delineated by minimal line spaces between the lines. However, as they are printed the lines flow slightly wider, thereby reducing the gap between the grid of adjacent resin lines such that the lens line curves nearly intersect. The silkscreen process can lay down a height of resin commensurate with lenticular ridges (as much as 0.003 in). The ridges can be set with uv and other methods. Another step in alignment involves printing parallel line indicia on the reverse side of the film web in a perfecter mode if the printing is in line, thereby assuring mutual parallel alignment of the line indicia to the silkscreened ridges. The two steps of the process can also be accomplished in reverse order. The printing may be on the same side of the film, with a flood coat of resin cured over the print first, after which the lens ridges are screen printed. The print lines may be printed by letterpress, offset, gravure, or the like, while the lens ridges are silkscreened.
According to another aspect of the process of the present invention, the process for producing a lenticular lens material having parallel lens to print alignment is produced by printing clear varnish ink repellent stripes. Said clear stripes are printed parallel to the emboss ridges on the opposite side of the film. The repellent properties of these low energy stripes make it possible to start with a continuous image on a printing plate or equivalent origination, and only have alternating lines of print adhere to the substrate, said adhering lines corresponding to the spaces between the previously printed clear varnish lines.
According to another aspect of the process of the present invention, the process for producing a lenticular lens material having parallel lens to print alignment is produced by printing thick lines of clear varnish. Said varnish lines create a differential height from the adjacent unprinted alternating stripes. Thereafter, a continuous full image on a printing plate or equivalent origination can be adjusted to transfer ink only to the raised stripes, therein leaving said alternating stripes, which are devoid of the thick varnish.